But Senators John Thune of South Dakota and David Vitter of Louisiana
have also stepped up to the plate. They filed an amendment that would
result in REAL national concealed carry reciprocity -- without adversely
affecting no-permit states like Alaska and Vermont.

So now the battle lines are drawn! By the end of the week, the Senate
will vote on whether to rule these two pro-gun amendments out of order.

The vote could come on a so-called "cloture" motion to cut off debate
(and thus kill the Ensign and Thune/Vitter amendments). Moreover, if the
underlying bill is then passed, the virulently anti-gun jurisdiction of
the District of Columbia will be rewarded with a voting member of the
House of Representatives.

But first, a little background on the two amendments:

You've all heard of the various "microstamping" proposals crafted by the
anti-gunners to ban guns and ammunition nationwide.

The anti-gunners would do this by serial number "microstamping"
requirements which are so onerous that guns (or ammunition) would become
prohibitively expensive in all 50 states.

In the wake of the Heller case, the District of Columbia's reaction to
the Supreme Court's decision declaring its gun laws unconstitutional was
to pass legislation which will, as a practical matter, continue its
current policy of denying gun licenses to its citizens. But, to add
insult to injury, it added a whole bunch of additional anti-gun
provisions.

One was a requirement that most guns used for self-defense be capable of
"microstamping" a cartridge with a unique serial number. Aside from
being useless for identifying any criminal who pockets his spent brass,
this provision would, even if it were technologically possible, make
guns so expensive that no one would buy them.

If a few more liberal jurisdictions follow suit, this could start a
chain reaction so that gun manufacturers will eventually be forced to
manufacture ALL guns to meet the new microstamping standards.

The Ensign amendment would completely repeal D.C.'s gun ban and, in the
process, help stave off the push for microstamping.

Next, the Thune/Vitter amendment on concealed carry reciprocity is an
idea whose time has come. Why should your right to self-defense stop at
the state line?

But it must be the right kind of national reciprocity. It must protect
states like Alaska and Vermont which do not require a permit to carry
concealed at all and it must be done in a Constitutional manner that
protects State's rights.

The Thune/Vitter amendment would do these things -- it is REAL national
reciprocity.

But the problem is this: Nevada Senator Harry Reid has moved to cut off
debate on the D.C. bill -- using a parliamentary maneuver known as a
"cloture" petition -- for the sole purpose of ruling such pro-gun
amendments out of order.

You see, Barack Obama and the liberals who run Congress hate guns. They
hate guns so much that they would probably be willing to kill the
District's voting representative in order to preserve the District's gun
ban.

The next two days are crucial. While there will be votes in the Senate
throughout the day on Thursday -- which may include either of the two
pro-gun amendments -- it is likely that the true focus will be on
Friday's cloture vote.

ACTION: Contact your two Senators and urge them to vote AGAINST cloture
on S. 160 until the Senate has had an opportunity to vote for all
pro-gun amendments. As usual, you can use the Gun Owners Legislative
Action Center at http://gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators
the pre-written message below.

----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

I urge you in the strongest terms to vote against cloture on S. 160
until senators have had an opportunity to vote on pro-gun amendments,
such as those offered by Senators Ensign and Thune.

The issue is not whether to give D.C. a voting representative. The
issue is whether to impose a "gag rule" on those who oppose the
District's efforts to use its draconian gun laws to undermine gun rights
in other states.

Cloture -- invoked for the cynical purpose of protecting D.C.'s anti-gun
laws and to silence other pro-gun voices -- is not a vote on D.C.
representation. It is a vote against the Second Amendment.

Please let me know you do not favor silencing pro-gun voices. Please do
not vote for cloture until those voices are heard.

And once debate is allowed to continue, I ask that you vote in favor of
the Ensign amendment to repeal the District's gun ban, as well as the
Thune amendment for national concealed carry reciprocity.

Sincerely,

****************************

Please do not reply directly to this message, as your reply will
bounce back as undeliverable.

Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail addressgoamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.

WASHINGTON – U.S. senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today co-sponsored an amendment to S.160, the D.C. Voting Rights bill, to permit residents of the District of Columbia to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Residents of the district had been barred since 1976 from possessing handguns until a U.S. Supreme Court decision last year overturned the ban. However, the D.C. City Council is rewriting its gun laws with continued restrictions on gun ownership by law-abiding citizens.

“The right of Americans in every part of the country to own guns, whether for sport or protection, is clearly defined in the Constitution and must not be compromised,” said Chambliss. “Only a government that does not trust its citizens would refuse them the right to bear arms.”

“I support the Second Amendment right of all law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and their families,” Isakson said. “This step is essential to restoring to district residents the constitutionally guaranteed right to protect themselves.”

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